Electric time-switch.



I H. J. COGSWELL.

ELECTRIC TIME SWI 'APPLIoATI N, FILED D20. 26.

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No. 730,234. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1903. s

No. 730,234.' PATENTED JUNEVQ, 1903. H. J. COGSWELL. ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.26| 1901.

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H. J. COGSWELL. ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

APPLICATION TILED DEC. 26. 1901.

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H. J. GOGSWELL.

ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 26- 1901.

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H. J. OOGSWELL. ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 26, 1901. I

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UNITED STATES Patented June 9, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. COGSWELL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE ACME SiVITCII COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC TIME-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,234, dated June 1 Application filed December 26, 1901. serial No. 87,244. the model.)

To all whom it puny concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. COGSWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new.

and useful Improvements in Electric Time- Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a switch which has blades that are automatically at predetermined times engaged with and disengaged from stationary contacts for closing and opening an electric circuit.

The object is the production of a compact switch of this nature that has simple mechanism which may be set to, at the exact predetermined time, cause the operation of, or cause the cessation of operation of the bladethrowing mechanism and for indicating the position of the blades, which blade-throwing mechanism is strong and durable and will surely open and close the blades many times with a very rapid, powerful, and extended movement.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by the accompanying drawings an ordinary striking marine movement provided with a lettered dial that is so geared with the time train that it makes one rotation in twenty-four hours is mounted upon an insulating-base and inclosed in a suitable case. The dial is fitted with adjustable trips that may be set from the front for causing the release of the striking train at the desired moments twice in twenty-four hours. Two pairs of circuit-terminals are mounted upon insulating-bases attached to the side walls of the case, and pivoted to one of each pair of terminals and adapted to engage the other of each pair of terminals is a blade. Each blade is by an insulating-link connected with a disk of insulating material that is rotatably supported by the back plate of the clockmovement. Geared so asto be rotated rapidly by the stiriking train spring is a crank that .is by a link connected with the insulating-disk, to which the blades are connected. Attached to the crank are stop-arms that engage with catches operated by the striking 5o train, and when the striking-train is released hand is usually attached.

the catches are temporarily withdrawn from the path of the arms, allowing the crank to make a semirotation. \Vhen the crank is half-rotated in one direction by the strikingspring, the blades are drawn from engagement with the terminals for opening the circuit, and when the crank'is turned the other half of its revolution after the next release of the striking mechanism the blades are brought into engagement with the terminals and. close the circuit.

Figure 1 of the views shows a front elevation of the switch with the cover removed. Fig. 2 shows an elevation of the back of the switch with the circuit open. Fig. 3 is a back elevation with the circuit closed. Fig. 4 is a front View of the clockn1ovement. Fig. 5 is a back View of the clock-movement and crank with parts broken away, so as to show the crank-catches. Fig. (3 is a view looking at the back of the dial, showing the trips. Fig. 7 is a view of the striking-trainreleasingmechanism. Fig. 8 is a View of the crank-catch-moving levers, and Fig. 9 is a detail view of the crank-catches and their holding parts.

The case 1, which surrounds the switch, may be made of iron, brass, wood, or any other desired material.- The base 2 is formed of insulating material, either wood or slate. Fastened to the insulating-base is an ordinarystriking marine movement, and as. the arrangement of the gears, pinons, and springs is common they are not shown in detail.

The arbor 3 is that to which the minute- This arbor and the pinion 4 fastened to it are driven by the time-spring 5 through the intermediate gears and pinions of the common time-train, so as to make one complete rotation each hour. The pinion 4 meshes with a gear 6, which is attached to a pinion 7, that meshes with a gear 8, fastened to a sleeve 9, that is'loosely mounted upon a stud 10. The teeth of these are so proportioned that the gear 8 makes one rotation every twenty-four hours in the same direction as ordinary clock-hands, Fig. 4.

Mounted upon and frictionally held to the sleeve 9 is the dial 11, which is marked with numerals representing twelve hours before and twelve hours after meridian. Mounted upon and frictionally connected with the sleeve 9 back of the dial are two spring settingarms 12. The outer ends of these settingarms project beyond the periphery of the dial. These setting-arms are provided with forwardly-projecting pins 13, that are adapted to extend through the perforations 14 around the periphery of the dial. WVhen the ends of the setting-arms are forced backwardly, the pins are removed from the perforations,so that the arms may be set to any desired positions with relation to the figures on the face of the dial. \Vhen the setting-arms are released, the resiliency of the metal causes their ends to spring forwardly, so that the pins will enter the perforations and hold the dial and setting-arms so that they will rotate together, Fig. 1. Fastened to each setting-arm is an outwardly-extending tripping-leg 15, at the outer end of which is a tripping-foot 16. A lever 17 is pivoted to the front plate 18 of the movement. One end of this lever bears a pin 19, that extends forwardly through a slot 20 in the plate 21, that extends back of the dial, so as to close in the movement and exclude dust. The outer end of this pin 19 lies in the path of the tripping-feet 16 as they rotate with the setting-arms and dial. WVhen the dial rotates forwardly, the outer edges of the tripping-feet engage the pin 19 and cause it to lift. Then the dial is turned backwardly, the end of the pin engages the inside walls 22 of the feet and draws the pin inwardly. In other words, the pin is lifted by the trippingfeet when the dial is turned forward, but is not lifted when the dial is turned back, Fig. 6.

A pin 24 projects forwardly from one end of the lever 17 through a slot 25 in the inclosing plate. A cam 26,with an operatinghandle 27, is pivotally mounted upon the illclosing plate 21 adjacent to the end of the pin 24. \Vhen this cam by means of its handle 27 is turned to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the lever 17 is allowed to oscillate, so that the pin 19 will drop down out of the path of the tripping-foot 16 and not be lifted by that foot when the setting-arms and dial rotate. 1V hen the cam 26 is turned to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the pin 24 is forced down and the lever 17 oscillated to such a position that the pin 19 will be engaged by the feet when the settingarms and dial rotate, Figs. 1 and 6. lVhen the pin 19 is lifted by a tripping-foot, its inner end strikes and raises a wire 28, that projects from an arbor 29, from which extends a wire30. lvhen this arbor is rocked, the wire 80 engages the wire 31, that projects from an arbor 32 and so rocks that harbor that the stop-wire 33 is withdrawn from in front of the stop-pin 34 on the gear 35 and the pawl 36 is lifted from a notch of the count-wheel 37, that is mounted upon the arbor 38 of the striking-spring 89. At the same time the wire 40 is lifted from a depression to the higher part of the striking-period cam 41, Figs. 4 and 7. All of these parts, which are thus moved by the lifting of the pin 19 when the arbor is engaged by the tripping-foot, are formed and arranged exactly as in a wellknown strikin marine movement, and when they are moved the striking-train is allowed to advance one step.

The arbor 42 of the second gear 43, that is driven by the gear 44 on the arbor 38 of the striking-spring, is extended through the back plate 45. Fastened to this arbor outside of his back plate is a disk 46, that has a pin 47 projecting from one face and a pin 48 projecting from a diametrically opposite point of the other face, 'Fig. 8. Angle-levers 49 and 50 are pivoted to the back plate, with the end of the former extending on one side of the disk and the end of the latter extending on the other side of the disk in the paths of the pins. The upper end of the lever 49 en gages a pin .51, that projects from a catch 52, which is pivoted in a mortise in a block 58, attached to the back plate, and the upper end of the lever 50 is arranged to engage a pin 54, that projects from a catch 55, that is also pivoted in the mortise in the block. The pins 51 and 54 extend through slots cut in the block for that purpose, and the upper ends of a spring 56 engage the pin 54 and a pin 79 in such manner that the upper .ends of the catches are normally forced out of the mortise in the block and the outer ends of the levers are forced down into the paths of the pins 47 and 48. A stud 78 is attached to the back plate to prevent the levers 49 and 50 from being pressed down too far, Fig. 5. \Vhen the striking mechanism is released, the disk 46 is rotated by the striking-train, and the pin 48 on one face oscillates the lever 50 and causes it to draw the upper catch into the mortise, and then the pin 47 on the other side of the disk oscillates the lever 49 and causes it to draw the lower catch 52 into the mortise in the block. The upper catch is first drawn in by one lever and thrown out by an end of the spring, and then the lower catch is drawn in by the other lever and thrown out by an end of the spring. The upper edges of these catches are formed on arcs the centers of which are coincident with the centers of the respective pivots of the catches, so that they may be easily withdrawn from beneath the crank-stopping arms, Fig. 5.

A latch 80 is pivoted to the face of the block 53 adjacent to the upper ends of the catches 52 and 55. A spring 81 is arranged to throw the free end of this latch down.- wardly. WVhen the catch 55 is forced back into the mortise in the block, a pin 82, projecting from its face, moves into a position above the latch, so as to prevent the latch from mov ing upwardly. \Vhile the latch is thus held, the catch 52 cannot be moved inwardly, for its pen 51 is engaged by the arm 83 of the latch. After the catch 55 has sprung out- ITO wardly into its normal position the catch 52 can be forced inwardly, for the latch is then released and can be raised. As the catch 52 moves back it raises'the latch against its spring, so that the shoulder 8% lies back of the pin 82 and prevents that pin and the catch from which it projects from moving. By this means only one of the catches can be moved inwardly at a time, the movement of one so throwing the latch that the other is held, Fig. 9.

Fastened to the arbor 38, to which one end of the striking-spring is attached outside ofthebaek plate, is a gear 57, and mounted upon a stud in position to mesh with the gear 57 is a gear 58. Secured to the gear 58 is a crank 59, which has outwardly-extending arms 60, lying in the plane of the catches 52 and 55, Fig. 5. The tension of the striking-spring upon the arbor 38 through the gears 57 and 58 tends to rotate the crank, which is temporarily held from rotation by the engagement of one or the other of the stop-arms with the catches. lVhen the catch 55 is withdrawn from the path of an arm by the movement of the lever 50, that arm drops onto the catch 52. As the catch 52 is drawn back into the block the catch 55 is thrown out, so that when the catch 52 is completely withdrawn from under the arm the crank is free to be rotated until the other arm is stopped by the catch 55. The gear57is larger than the gear 58, so that the motion of the crank will be accelerated, and there are two catches, so that one will surely be returned into position for stepping an arm when the crank rotates. A leafspring 61 is attached to the block in position to prevent the arms from rebounding when they strike a catch and also from turning backwardly when the strikin g-sprin g is being wound up, Fig. 5.

The bases 62 of the switches are preferably formed of slate, although they may be formed of any other insulating material. These bases are shown as attached to the insides of opposite walls of the case. Supported near each end by each base is a terminal post, to which the ends of circuit-wires are adapted to be connected by suitable binding-screws. These posts 63 6 1 are shown in the views as extending through the side walls of the case, the post 63 on one side being at the bottom end of its base and on the other side at the top end of its base, while the post 6i on one side is at the top end of its base and on the other side is at the bottom end of its base.

Pivotally connected by a screw 65 with the inner end of each of the posts 63 is a eonducting-blade (56. Each blade is arranged to be engaged with and disengaged from the yielding inner ends 67 of the posts (ii. A disk 68, preferably formed of insulating material, is mounted upon a stud69, projecting from the back plate of the movement. Each blade is connected by a link 70, preferably formed of insulating material, with the disk, so that as the disk is given a rotary movement the blades will be oscillated. It is not necessary that the disk should be a complete circle. It could be formed some other shape, and it may be made of metal. A link 72 connects the disk with the crank-arm, which is fastened to the gear 58, Figs. 2 and position to close the circuit, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the crank-arm is given the semirotation, the disk will be so rotated as to cause the links to draw the free ends of the blades from the brush ends of the terminal posts and open the blades to the positions illustrated in Fig. 2. The next semirotation of the crank-arm rotates the disk, so that the links cause the blades to again engage the brush ends of the terminals. The crank-arm is of such length that a semirotation gives a long throw to the switch-blades, causing an extend ed break, and the crank-arm is rotated so rapidly by the gearing under the influence of the striking-spring that the break of the circuit is accomplished exceedingly quick. By the employment of two catches the upper one is sure to be returned to position for stepping an arm when the crank is thrown, for an arm after being released from the upper catch has a slight dwell on the lower catch. The catches are made exceedingly strong, for a hard blow is imparted to them when the crank revolves and they are employed in stopping an arm. The block which supports the catches is so connected with the back plate that it rests upon the insulating-base, and the blows received by the catches from the arms are resisted by the base and not directly by the clock-movement A shaft 74 is pivotally held near the lower corner on one side of the case. On the front end outside of the plate 21 the shaft bears the pointer 75, adjacent to which on the plate appears the words On, Off, Fig. 1. Fastened to the back end of the shaft is a rocker-arm 7 6, that has a pin 77, that is held against the edge of the blade 66 by means of a small spring wound about the shaft. hen the blades are closed through the spring rocker-arm and shaft, the pointer indicates On. WVhen the blades open, these parts turn, so that the pointer indicates Off.

The setting-arms back of the dial may be set so that at any predetermined two hours of'the day or night, the trip-feet will liftthe pin that releases the striking mechanism and allow that mechanism to withdraw the catches from beneath the stop-arms, so that the strikingspring will throw the crank and alternately open and close the knife-blades, or the mechanisms may be set so that while the time-train will run the trip will not operate the blade throwing train. The parts arranged in this manner are very strong and durable. The mechanisms are sure in action, and a very quick and extended break is given to a switch of the approved form, so that circuits with large currents can be operated automatically If the blades are in' with safety by one of these switches. The mechanisms are compact and not complicated and are well insulated.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic switch in combination with a spring-driven time-train, a dial with perforations arranged annnlarly near its periphery, mounted on an arbor that is rotated by the time-train, spring-arms rotatable on said arbor back of and independently of said dial, pins projecting forwardly from said arms and adapted to enter the dial-perforations and fix the arms to the dial, trip-feet connected with and extending from the arms back of the dial and a trip-lever adapted to be moved by the feet so as to release the switch-throwing mechanism when the dial is rotated in one direction but not when the dial is rotated in the opposite direction, substantially as specified.

2. An automatic switch consisting of a clock having spring-driven time and striking trains, a crank connected to and rotated by one of the springs, a catch temporarily holding the crank against rotation, mechanism periodically moved by one of the springs for withdrawing the catch from the crank, a switch-blade connected with the crank, an arm held in engagement with the blade, a shaft connected with said arm, and an inclicating-pointer mounted on said shaft, substantially as specified.

3. An automatic switch consisting of a clock having spring-driven time and striking trains, arms connected to and rotated by one of the springs, catches for temporarily holding the arms against rotation, mechanism periodically moved by one of the springs for withdrawing the catches from the arms, a latch arranged to lock one of the catches while the other is withdrawn from the arms, and switch-blades moved by the spring that holds the arms, substantially as specified.

HENRY J. OOGSWELL.

Witnesses:

GEORGE L. R. ELDREDGE, H. R. WILLIAMs. 

